'IFS & BUTS' ON ALBERT PAGARA'S WORLD TITLE QUEST
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 27 Feb 2016
CEBU ? Undefeated super bantamweight 'Prince' Albert Pagara's path to a world title has reached a point where he could fight for it in his very next fight. Granted of course that he will get past Nicaraguan bantamweight champion Yesner Talavera on the main event of 'Pinoy Pride 35: Stars of the Future' tonight at the Waterfront Hotel & Casino.
For one, Pagara (25-0-0, 18KO) is highly rated in two major boxing bodies in his division. He is ranked No. 2 by the WBO just below No. 1 Jessie Magdaleno (23-0-0, 17KO) of the United States where the world champion is compatriot Nonito Donaire Jr. He is ranked No. 3 by the IBF below No. 1 Shingo Wake (20-4-2, 12KO) of Japan, No. 2 being vacant and the champion is Carl Frampton (21-0-0, 14KO) of Belfast, UK who is having a unification fight with compatriot and WBA champion Scott Quigg also this Saturday in Manchester.
Pagara is in the mix with the best super bantamweights out there being ranked No. 7 by Ring Magazine that include former world champion Guillermo Rigondeaux, WBA champion Scott Quigg, Frampton, Donaire, Wake, and WBC champion Julio Ceja among the big names in the Top 10.
If Pagara will take the WBO route, he has to wait for Donaire to move up back to featherweight division if Donaire wants to cross paths with the big names of that division including WBC champ Gary Russell Jr, WBA champ Leo Santa Cruz, IBF champ Lee Selby, WBO champ Vasyl Lomachenko or a rematch with Nicholas Walters. If that happens, Pagara will probably fight No. 1 ranked Jessie Magdaleno for the vacant title. But the waiting might take longer if Donaire wants to have a shot at the winner of the Frampton-Quigg fight or if Donaire wants to do a rematch with Rigondeaux.
Also if Donaire opts to stay in the 122-lb division and even if Pagara will become Donaire's mandatory, ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer made it very clear that Pagara won't be fighting fellow Filipino Nonito Donaire.
In the IBF, it is here that it gets interesting. IBF champ Carl Frampton will unify the belts with WBA champ Scott Quigg Saturday in Manchester. Both Frampton and Quigg expressed interest in fighting WBA champ in recess Rigondeaux in their next fight. Rigondeaux himself has said he wants to face the Frampton-Quigg winner.
Now if the Frampton-Quigg winner-Rigondeaux fight is made, there is a big problem on the IBF side because the IBF has already declared Frampton's mandatory in Shingo Wake, who got that status after defeating Mike Tawatchai of Thailand in an eliminator bout last June. The IBF has given permission for Frampton to fight Quigg on the condition that the winner will immediately fight Wake afterwards.
So if either Frampton or Quigg will fight Rigondeaux, the IBF will most likely not sanction that fight and may be forced to declare the title vacant. If that happens, No. 1 Wake and No. 3 Pagara will most likely fight for the vacant title ? and it may will be Pagara's very next fight.
There is also the remote possibility that Pagara will fight for the WBC belt as he is ranked No. 8 by that boxing body in the super bantamweight. The current WBC champion is Julio Ceja (30-1-0, 27KO) of Mexico who likewise defends his title against compatriot Hugo Ruiz (35-3-0, 31KO) Saturday, Feb. 27, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.
Not a bad situation to be had at all for Albert as he could fight for a world title sooner than expected. This would become clear as the day moves forward, beginning of course in tonight's fight at the Waterfront Hotel, right here in Cebu.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.
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